Before he told a TV audience on Monday that “poor” Brayden Point might have been a minus-5 in Game 1 but the loss wasn’t his fault, Cooper would have made sure his 22-year old forward understood that himself.

Point responded in Game 2 with a one-goal, three assist performance as the Tampa Bay Lightning scored a 4-2 victory on Monday that evened the best-of-seven playoff series with the Boston Bruins 1-1.

The former third-round pick and his linemates, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, who also struggled mightily in the series opener, were the difference as the Lightning rebounded from a 6-2 loss.

It’s a good thing that unit stepped up, because Tampa’s top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and J.T. Miller still hasn’t registered a point in the series.

Hockey Night in Canada broadcasters Nick Kypreos and Kelly Hrudey provided some good insight during the first intermission when they said Cooper has told people that Point has been his best player all season.

Point, who had 66 points, obviously has a lot of character to bounce back from a minus-5. But it figures the Lightning are still going to need Stamkos and Kucherov to be the stars if they’re going to have a chance against the Bruins.

STARTS AND STOPS

After just one series went the distance in the first round, all four could take seven games to decide a winner in Round 2 … Once again desperation led to the expected fast start for a home team trying not to fall into a 0-2 hole. When Yanni Gourde gave the Lighting a 1-0 lead at 11:47 of the first period, it was with the team’s 10th shot on goal. The Bruins had exactly zero at that time … Patrice Bergeron gave Andrei Vasilevskiy his first test of the night at the 14:02 mark. It wasn’t really a shot as much as an attempt to jam the puck between the post and the goalie’s skate …. Not many players are hated by opponents so much that they can draw consecutive penalties that give their team a five-on-three advantage for 1:45, but then there’s nobody quite like Brad Marchand … With the help of the penalties, the Bruins were down 10-8 on the shot clock at the intermission. Tampa did sit back a bit, too … Another controversial call in these playoffs — the Lightning should have been called for icing just before Palat’s goal that put them ahead 3-1 … Stamkos’ struggles are real. He has just one goal in his last 18 games.

BETWEEN PERIODS

Is there a more unpretentious person in the NHL than Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant? I say no … As good as Tuukka Rask was in Game 1, what was he doing on Johnson’s second-period goal? Anticipating a pass? He leaves the net open to do it? Makes no sense …. Oh, Hrudey just pointed out that Rask thought Johnson was about to shoot to the left corner when he went high to the right. And his actions still makes no sense … Johnson’s goal was his 24th in the playoffs, tying him with Vinny Lecavalier for third on the Lightning’s all-time list … Speaking of whom, it was a dozen years and one week ago that Zdeno Chara was sitting on top of Lecavalier with fist cocked, deciding whether to clobber him in a playoff game that saw the Senators clobber the Lightning 8-4. Chara had one goal, one assist and seven PIMs in 26:15 of ice time … A dozen years and one week later, Chara only played 25:33 in a playoff game at the same venue … Ryan Callahan is long past his days as a 50-point guy (remember when he scored 29 goals in 2011-12?) but as a fourth liner he still brings a lot to the table. His penalty killing, grit and leadership are valued by Tampa. He also delivered a huge, tone-setting hit on big Bruins defenceman Adam McQuaid early in the first period. Yeah, the Lightning like him — but they’d like him a lot more if he didn’t still have one year left on a deal that carries a $5.8 million cap hit.

BACK TO THE POINT

Years from now you’ll tell people you remember the playoff series between two teams with very good rookie defenceman. By that point Charlie McAvoy and Mikhail Sergachev should have a few Norris trophies between them … McAvoy, who had two assists in Game 1, displayed his offensive instincts when he jumped up and finished off a pretty passing play with Marchand and Bergeron … A reporter told Sidney Crosby that on the replay, it looked like Patric Hornqvist’s attempt crossed the goal line in Game 2. “Live, I saw the same thing,” said Crosby. “I don’t really need to see a replay to verify what I think. It doesn’t matter now. It’s in the past.” … Stamkos and Kucherov combined for one shot, by Stamkos, though 40 minutes. The third on the line, Miller, also had one … The camera caught Riley Nash reacting with the same kind of “ohhhh” a fan would when he deflected a David Backes shot just over the net with the Bruins were still trying to give Vasilevskiy his first test … With just over 12 minutes left David Pastrnak was given a double minor for Hedman hitting himself in the face with his stick. No, you read it right. That’s what I said … At some point, the fact that the Bruins power play was ranked fourth during the regular season and the Lightning penalty kill was 28th would figure to sting Tampa … Bryce Harper loves his Golden Knights. Who knew?

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